Hi all! Thank you for the great reviews everyone! I'll get back to you all shortly. I don't know if I'll be able to update everyday so I did an extra chapter tonight. I hope you all enjoy!
They arrived at the hospital mid morning the next day. They were all exhausted from lack of sleep but they knew time was of the essence. Gerard's death pointed to something bad.
"We'd like to speak to someone about a missing person", Daniel spoke to the Administrator. They'd called the General and he'd arranged for them to get in immediately to see the man.
"A missing person? I don't know how we can help. We're a hospital."
"A report was filed with the police about a man who was dropped off here. We think it might be our Commanding Officer. He disappeared two months ago."
"All right, let me check." The man – Brian Withers – called in his secretary and explained the situation. He offered them a cup of coffee while they waited – something they all accepted gladly.
A few minutes later the secretary entered with a slim file. "A man was admitted about three weeks ago. He was brought into the Emergency department by the cops. He didn't give a name – at least not a last name so Nurse Alvarez filed a report." She handed over the file.
The Administrator looked at it for a couple of minutes, lifting his eyebrows as he read the report. Sam wondered what that was about but was too anxious to really care.
"Is this your friend?" Brian handed over a small, fuzzy picture.
Sam took the picture and looked at it. The man in the picture was pale and thin – and his eyes looked unfocused. He was sitting in a bed, wearing a blue hospital gown - but she was sure it was Jack. Without a word she handed to Daniel, who looked at it and in turn handed it to Teal'c. After the friends had all looked a silent message passed between them.
Sam turned to the man. "Yes, we think that's our friend. Is he here?"
"No, I'm sorry. He was discharged over a week ago according to the charts. I'm afraid I don't have any information as to where he's gone."
"Is there anyone here who might know? What about his doctor?"
Brian looked down at the chart again – and again frowned. "His doctor was a Resident by the name of Dr. Woodward. I can see if he's available to speak with you."
"That would be great, thank you."
The three were taken to a small waiting room on the fourth floor where Dr. Woodward was doing his rounds. They were told he'd be in to see them as soon as he was finished.
"There's a cafeteria downstairs on the first floor if you want anything", the nurse told them with a smile. She turned to leave when Sam stopped her.
"You wouldn't happen to have remembered this man would you?" she showed Jack's picture to the nurse.
"Oh yes, that's Charlie."
"That's right. Did he say anything to you – about where he might go once he left here."
"Charlie?", she laughed. "He didn't say anything at all. We all thought he was an escapee from the mental hospital – all of us except Tina of course. For some reason she liked the guy." The nurse seemed to suddenly realize that she might have been indiscreet. "Oh, I'm sorry – was he your friend?"
"He is our friend. He's a Colonel in the US Air Force and he was kidnapped a couple of months ago. We've been trying to find him."
"Oh God, I'm so sorry. You should talk to Tina – if anyone would know where he is, it's her."
"Is she here?" Daniel asked.
"No, she was given a two week suspension", the nurse answered, looking down. "She told Dr. Woodward – well, she called him an ass in the doctor's lounge. She won't be back for another week or so."
"Thank you nurse", Sam said softly. Daniel looked at her sharply but she ignored him.
"Sam, why didn't you ask for her address?"
"Because she wasn't going to give it to me. We'll have to ask Mr. Withers."
Just then Dr. Woodward came in and shook everyone's hand. "What can I do for you folks?" he asked with a smile. He'd gotten a call that three very important people were here to talk to him. From what was said, these were personal friends of the President.
"We're wondering about this man", Sam showed the picture to Woodward. "We understand he was your patient."
Crap, he thought. Wouldn't you know it was the drunk, he thought, completely ignoring – or forgetting – the fact that the man had shown no evidence of having had anything to drink. "Uh, yes he was. We assumed he was a homeless man."
"No, he's Colonel Jack O'Neill of the US Air Force. He was kidnapped over two months ago and this is the first lead we've had. We were wondering if you could tell us anything. Did he talk to you at all? We're trying to figure out where he could be."
"I'm afraid not. He couldn't speak." This was the second time they'd heard this and they glanced at each other – very worried.
"How had he been injured?" asked Teal'c.
"Uh – he was suffering from pneumonia and malnutrition. He had some bruises and things, but nothing else really", he said, this time intentionally 'forgetting' all of the other things that had been wrong with the man.
"So the fact that he couldn't talk -?"
"Most likely trauma. If we'd have known he'd been kidnapped we would have treated him differently. We just thought he was homeless."
"So what, you don't treat the homeless the same way?" Daniel asked, his hackles rising.
"Oh no, no, nothing like that. It's just that the homeless present with all sorts of mental illness and related things. We don't see it as anything out of the ordinary I'm afraid."
"So", Sam said. For some reason this guy was giving her the creeps. "You discharged him. I'm assuming that means that he was better. Do you have any idea where he would have gone?"
The doctor knew exactly where the man had been taken, but decided not to say anything. He didn't want to get into trouble and in this case he figured ignorance was safer.
"I'm sorry, I don't know. If there's anything else you need", he continued as he moved towards the door, "please let me know."
They thanked him but watched in surprise as he hurried from the room. They then returned to the Administrator's office, to ask about Nurse Alvarez.
What they didn't know was that Brian Withers had spent his life as an internist and – when he'd seen the test results, and the fact that Colonel O'Neill had been discharged when he was still sick – he decided someone's head was going to roll. He was pretty sure who that head would belong to.
"Call Dr. Woodward down", he said, "oh, and ask Theresa Cain to come as well." He sat at his desk, thinking about two of his staff – and how they'd screwed up. It was about to hit the fan.
Tina Alvarez sat looking at her garden. It was in better shape than it had been in years. Being off had given her time to get a few things done around the house. Doing the gardening had also given her enough work so that she wouldn't dwell on the unfairness of it all. She sighed and grabbed that weed and pulled. As it released she fell back and sat, covered in dirt, and mad as hell.
She'd gone down to Skid Row to see if she could find Charlie but, after a few hours wandering around, realized it was probably hopeless. No one would answer her questions and she'd been frightened a few times by the some of the men who had harassed her. She'd finally been told, by the police, that she should leave as it wasn't safe for her to be on the streets alone. Still, she was determined to head back with Rob when he was off work for the weekend.
She felt terrible when she thought of her husband. He'd been pulling double shifts all week to try to make up for her lost salary. Inside she seethed when thinking about Woodward – and about Theresa. She wondered if she could go back to work with either of them.
"Damn", she muttered when the doorbell rang. Looking down at herself she realized she was sweaty and dirty. "Oh well, they can take me or leave me", she said as she made her way to the front door. She wondered who in heck it could be.
"Can I help you?" she asked the three people at her door. She couldn't figure out who they could be.
"We hope so", answered the woman. "My name is Samantha Carter – Major Samantha Carter. This is Dr. Daniel Jackson and this man is Murray. We're all with the Air Force and we're looking for a colleague – a friend – of ours. I'm wondering if I could ask you to look at a picture and tell us if you recognize this man?"
"Of course", she answered mildly, taking the photo. "That's Charlie!", she cried as she instantly recognized the picture she had taken in the hospital. "And you say he's your friend? Oh God", she cried, "I knew he had to have someone."
"Yes, he's our friend – a very good friend. In fact, he's our Commanding Officer." Sam spoke softly in reply. "We just found out that he'd been in the hospital and that you helped him and took care of him. We're wondering if you know where he could be."
"They dropped him off in Skid Row", she replied bitterly. "He couldn't speak – something had happened to him and he was severely traumatized and sick. He told me his name was Charlie – that's all he said the whole time he was there. Everyone thought he was a homeless man – especially that fool Dr. Woodward. Because of that they didn't care about him. When I was off for a few days Woodward discharged him and had him dropped off down town."
"Skid Row? You mean where all the street people live?"
"Yes – there are shelters and missions there. There's also thousands of homeless people in that area. I went to try and find him but it's like looking for a needle in a haystack. Besides that, they protect their own down there. I couldn't get any information from anyone."
"Damn", Daniel said. "But at least he was okay, right – I mean physically? He should be okay there for a few days."
"No, he was still sick, that's why I'm so worried. He had a very bad case of pneumonia besides being malnourished. He'd clearly been beaten and starved and was pretty weak. I tried to tell Dr. Woodward but he couldn't have cared less. He thinks we shouldn't even treat the homeless, that it's a waste of money."
"The ass!" Daniel said.
"Yes – that's what I called him. That's why I'm on two week's suspension."
"You're kidding!", Sam cried. "What's wrong with them?"
"They're more interested in their budget than in people." Tina looked at the angry threesome in front of her and felt terribly relieved that someone else was here who cared for Charlie. They could help search for him and find him the care he needed. Just then she thought of something and, with a small frown, asked, "Is his name really Charlie?"
"No", Sam answered softly. "his name is Jack – Jack O'Neill. He's a Colonel in the Air Force. He was kidnapped two months ago and we've been looking for him."
"Oh – so Charlie -?"
"Was the name of his son. He was killed a few years ago."
"Poor man!" Tina looked at the three in front of her. "Are you going to Skid Row to find him?"
"Yes, right now." Daniel answered.
"May I come with you?" Tina asked. "I want to make sure he's okay. I – grew to like Ch – Jack – right from the beginning. There was just something about him, you know?"
"Yeah, we know", whispered Sam. "Please, you're welcome to come but we'd like to go right away."
Tina looked at her dirty gardening clothes and then grinned. "I'll fit right in."
Sam grinned in return. "Okay, let's go."
It took them almost an hour to get there with the afternoon traffic in LA. When they arrived they parked their rental car in a fenced parking lot with an attendant. They then got out and walked to the street.
Sam had never seen anything quite like it. There were dozens – hundreds – of people lined up on the streets, all of them poor. It was overwhelming – where would they even start?
"Let's go to some of the missions", Daniel said. Of all of them he looked the least shocked. "They often serve meals there. If Jack is still around here he would have had to eat somewhere."
Sam looked at him curiously, wondering why he seemed so comfortable down here.
"I sometimes volunteer at some of the places in Colorado Springs where there are homeless people", he said in answer to her look. "I've gotten to know quite a few of the people who live and work on the streets."
"That is commendable, Daniel Jackson", Teal'c replied. "When we return I would be honored if you would allow me to accompany you."
"Sure Teal'c", Daniel said, looking slightly surprised. It would be good to have Teal'c however. He'd feel much safer!
"Okay, let's make our way to the missions."
The four of them spent the rest of the day going from shelter to shelter, mission to mission, looking for the Colonel. They showed his picture dozens of times but rarely got more than a shrug. Sometimes people would start to speak with them, but it was usually either nonsense – or a request for money.
It was late in the evening, and starting to get dark. They knew they'd have to leave shortly. It was just too dangerous on the streets after dark. Sam knew that the three of them could probably deal with anything that came up, but they didn't want to put Tina in that kind of a position.
Sam had gotten to really like the little nurse. She reminded her a lot of Janet. She was tough, but full of compassion. She spent some of the day telling Sam about Jack's time in hospital.
"The only time I saw him smile was when I saw him watching the Simpsons", Tina had told her.
Sam's eyes had instantly filled with tears – that was so like the Colonel! God – what had happened to him, wondered Sam. He must have been hurt so badly. She just prayed they could bring him back – both physically and mentally.
"Sam, don't turn around too fast but there's a man over there that looks familiar." Daniel gestured carefully across the street. Sam turned her head, casually, and looked.
"Do you recognize him?" Daniel asked.
"God yes – he's one of Samuel's men. What's he doing here?" She asked.
"The same thing we are Major Carter, of that I am sure" Teal'c replied gravely. "I expect that O'Neill somehow escaped and they are looking for him."
"Either that or Gerard let him go. That may be why they", Sam stopped and looked at Tina, "why they did what they did. They wanted him to tell them where the Colonel was."
"He obviously did." Daniel said. "What do we do now? Do you think he's seen us?"
"Maybe. I guess we just keep looking and pray we'll find the Colonel before he does."
"I will keep my eye on him Major", Teal'c said softly.
"Good Teal'c. Hopefully he won't notice us."
"Can I help you people?", someone asked. Sam turned and looked at a young, pleasant looking man.
"I hope so", Daniel said. "We're looking for a friend and we were told that he was dropped off here."
"By here I assume you mean Skid Row?", the young man asked.
"Uh yeah, but we don't have any more information than that. We do have a picture though." He motioned to Sam who pulled the photo from her pocket and showed it to the man.
"Oh", he said, "that's Sam."
"Sam?" Daniel asked, looking over at the Major with a frown.
"Yeah – at least that's the name he gave." He laughed, "I'm not surprised if that's not his real name. People very rarely use their real ones down here – but I do recognize him. He came here just over a week ago and seemed pretty lost. I took him for something to eat and told him where to go to get a bed and everything."
"Do you know where he is now?" Sam asked eagerly.
"Well, look for BJ and you'll probably find him. I hear they've taken up with one another."
"BJ?" Daniel had to smile at Jack's propensity for picking up strays.
"Yeah – his name is actually Brian Johnson. He was a successful jazz musician and then his wife and daughter were killed by a drunk driver. He ended up having a nervous breakdown and took to drinking. He eventually lost everything and he's been on the streets for about 8 years. Anyway, I heard that he took a liking to Sam and so he latched onto your friend. It's a good thing – BJ is a good man and he'll protect Sam."
"Uh, how can we find BJ?" Daniel wanted to know. The others stood quietly, waiting for some indication as to where they should be looking.
"Well, they may be lined up to stay in a shelter, or you could try the alley", the young man pointed. "That's BJ's usual place. I'd suggest coming back tomorrow though – it's getting late and you're not going to find much. It's also not very safe to be here after dark."
"Thank you", Sam reached out and shook the other man's hand. "We appreciate this – and what you did for our friend. His real name's Jack, by the way, and he's a good man."
"I had no doubt of that", he answered with a smile. "My name is Joe. If you ever need anything, just ask for me at the Blessed Heart Mission. They know me and they can get in touch with me."
"So, where to now", Sam asked, after they'd said goodbye to Joe. "Should we check out the shelters?"
"I think we should do the alley first, before it gets too late. After that we can look in the shelters."
"Okay, let's go then."
The four of them – the three friends and their new companion – moved across the street towards the alley where 'BJ' usually slept. They'd gotten a description of the big man and prayed they'd find him – and Jack.
There were a number of people camped out in the alley. Many used cardboard boxes as their 'homes'. Others had small shelters or tents. Few of them acknowledged the people moving through their alley, too exhausted, too hungry and too cold to worry about anyone else.
Sam found herself feeling incredibly saddened by the sight of so many people living on the streets. In a country as wealthy as theirs it was shameful that so many lacked the basic necessity of a home.
"BJ?' a crackled voice spoke. Daniel had approached an old woman who was bending down, feeding a mangy looking cat. "Yeah, he's over there", she pointed to a small cardboard lean to against the side of a building. "Got someone with 'im tonight. Sounds like he's dying. Got into a fight – Paco beat him up." She grinned – a toothless grin. "Yeah, Paco he don't like someone, he'll beat the crap outta you!" She cackled some more and then moved on.
The teammates looked at each other worriedly and then slowly moved towards the lean to. As they approached, they heard an agonized cough, and then a low horrible moan.
"God, I hope that's not Jack", Daniel said.
Sam didn't say anything, she just hurried over to the small shelter.
"Hello", she knocked softly on the cardboard. Suddenly, all movement inside stopped. She knocked again. "Hello, is there anyone here? My name is Samantha Carter, I'm looking for a friend."
There was silence for what seemed like forever, but in actual fact was probably only a few seconds. Then, a head slowly appeared from inside the cardboard room.
"Who you lookin' for?" The voice asked.
"I'm looking for my friend. His name is Jack O'Neill, although I hear he goes by the name of 'Sam'." She hadn't stopped to give that any thought, although she knew that later, when she had some time, she'd agonize over why he gave her name as his own.
"What's your name again?" the man asked.
"Samantha Carter. I go by 'Sam' for short."
The man looking up at her suddenly gave a crack of laughter. "Of course you do darlin' – of course you do! Come on in", he replied. "The General's here." When all of them moved forward BJ looked shocked and then held up his hand. "I meant the woman – only she can come."
So, Sam found herself squeezing into BJ's 'home'. On the ground was a thin, ill looking man. He was tossing and turning – and was clearly burning up with fever. She threw herself down beside him, tears flowing down her cheeks.
They had found him.